Method and apparatus for the storage and the transportation of gas



Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,521

P. N. L. GIRARDVILLE METHOD ANI J APPARATUS FOR THE STORAGE AND THE TRANSPORTATION OF GAS Filed Feb.6. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor Paul /V. Lums fi/mrdw'lk by MIJM A ttorn eys' Dec. 6, 1927. 1,651,521

P. N. L. GIRARDVILLE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE STORAGE AND TIE TRANSPORTATION OF GAS Filed Feb, 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 9 Inventor Pall/A. Lam: /mrdwlle by MM Attorneys Patented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIca.

PAUL nrconas nucas-ermnvrnrn, or mars, ran-ca.

marnon AND Plum non-rm: s'ronaen AND 'rnn 'rnansron'ra'rron orfe'aa -Applicatlonflledi'ebruary 6, 1 926, Serial No. 86,529, and in France my 20, 1925 grammes per cubiometer of gas reduced to atmospher1c-pressure.- ThlS represents a prohibitive weight for many uses, so that efforts have been made to reduce the weight of such vessels .to'a considerable degree,

1 According to my invention, I substitute for the usual thick and heavycontainers, a vessel with relatively thin and light walls, with the addition of means whereby the device is strengthened and protected against bursting.- M first means of rotection consist'in the; apphcation about sai walls ofsuitable hoopj ing which has-a great, tensile strength and consists of strong steel wire, -'known per se. This method of reinforcement has already been employed ,in. artillery practice, but when the question relates to light weight containers 1t becomes necessary to employ special arrangements and to take suitable precautions.

In the artillery. practice referred a), the.

wirehooping is wound upon the metal cylinder under a-certain. pressure and tenslon.

But this method is not suitable for-the con struction of vessels with thin walls, since a corresponding pressure of the' wire would cause-the distortion of the sheet metal cylinder.

40 under heavy internal pressure the sheet metal would be subjected to a breaking stress before the wire would come under its normal load.

' In the present case, therefore, the sheetmetal must beallowed to expand in such manner that the stress due .to the pressure shall be almost entirely supported by the wire of the hooping. p 7

For this purpose I employ various arrangements certain of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a cross section of one embodiment of the. in-

. vention. i I

' Fig. 2 is a viewsimilar to Fig; 1 but show- If a plain cylinder of thinmetal. were used, the winding would necessarily'be-- so loose to avoid crushing the cylinder, that,

ing a different arrangement ofcertain parts. I

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a longitudinal section-of a receptacle embodying the-present invention.

Fig. 4 is a View illustratingin-a different manner the container shown "in Fig. 3.

Fig. v5 is a view illustrating the crossing of two corrugations. .7 I Fig. 6 i a' view illustrating the effect as to different stresses of arranging the corrugationsoblique to the generatrices of the 'cyllndrical part of the vessel or receptacle.

Fig. 7. is a view in elevation of a receiver corrugated helically.-

Fig. 8 isa view illustrating for strengthening a container. Fig. .9 is a-view of a container reinforced by the means shown in Fig.8, partof the reinforcing means being bro-ken away to show the underlying structure; and

"Fig. 10 is a i w illustrating internal reinforcing means for the thinmetal cylinder? "As shown in Fig. 1, the sheet metal is corrugated lengthwise of the cylinder 1 and is enclosed and compressedby. tightly wound wire 2 which in the cross-sectional view'of this figure appears as acircle in which the section of the corrugated metal is inscribed. When the cylinder of thin corrugated metal is expanded by internal pressure, the

other means loosely enough to avoid crushing the cylinder, and its enlarged circumference will. be come equal to the developed length of the cross'section of. the corrugated part. Until the corrugations. are drawn out, the sheet "metal will notbe subjected to substantial ten.-

sion stress, whereas the wireis already subjected to tension. From this point'onward, the pressure maybe increased until the sheet metal, which expands as well as. the wire, attains atension' stress compatible with its trength. I suitably regulate the length and depth of the corrugations so thatthe sheet metal as well as the wire will be subjected to the proper stresses. I may even bring the stress exclusively upon the wire, so that the sheet metal part now serves solely as a con-" tainernf The dimensions of the corrugationsmay be .so calculated. that although the sheet metal is not under a heavy stress when the wires .have'expanded to the amount 'corre sponding to their 'normal stress, the sheet sheet metalmay enter into substantially com-' jplete contact with the wire, which is wound metal will burst in the events of an increased stress upon it, and before the wires have reached the breaking point.

I thus obviate all dangerous projection of metal such as is found with the known types of cylindrical vessels which are made of strong steel. With my said device, in fact, as soon as the sheet metal yields under an excessive pressure, the gas will escape through the spaces between the hooping wires, but as the hooping remains intact there can be no projection of metal.

The relative disposition of the wire and the corrugations of the metal should be such that the vessel may resume its normal shape when the tension which expanded it ceases. When the presure diminishes, the wire will contract and will thus compress the sheet metal, so that the metal must be guided in a certain measure in order that it may return to its-initial corrugated form.

To obtain this result, I may employ suitable wires 3 laced in the lengthwise direction, one such wire being disposed in each outwardly facing trough 4 of said longitudinal corrugations. The diameter of the wire must be less than the de th of the recess ortrough presented by tie corrugation. When the sheet metal attains the expanded position, it will still be recessed to a certain degree, and will thus return to the initial position by its own action when the pressure ceases. Additional longitudinal wires 5 may be used in the manner indicated in Imay further employ transverse corrugations 6 in the metal as shown in Fig. 3 to impart greater circumferential stillness. In this event, the hooping may be wound under agreater tension. It will be evident that the circumferential rigidity of the cylinder depends upon the depth of the transverse corrugations.

Whatever may be the disposition adopted for the corrugations of the metal, either longitudinal or transverse, the top and bottomof the vessel will preferably consist of hemispherical members or caps 7 of pressed steel. Between these end caps there is stretched a set of wires under tensile stress, and I further employ suitable means for connectin the said vessel with the apparatus in which the gas is used. To the central part of each end is fastened, as by welding,

a. member, preferably of solid steel, in which is formed av tapped hole for the insertion of all such devices as expansion valves, pressure gauges, safety valves, or the like. 7

For connecting the and parts with the corrugated body of the vessel, precautions analo 'ous to the precedin must be employe so that the main s eet metal part may withstand the effects of elongation of the wires which are subjected to great stress, without any considerable tension, The corsheet metal itself may take up a part of the stress within the limits of its normal strength.

There may further be employed an arrangement which comprises corrugations 10 oblique to the generatrices 11-11 of 'the cylindrical part of the vessel (see Figs. 6 and 7). For a very small section the corrugations may be considered as substantially straight. a a

Let a be the angle between the corrugations and the said generatrices; the stress due to the expansion of the sheet metal which acts directly across or perpendicular to the corrugations will have two components, one in the direction of the generatrlces and the other at right angles'thereto. If i is given a value near 26 degrees the other acute angle of the right triangle will be near 64 degrees, and consequently the second component will have about twice the value of the first. In these conditions, such lengthwise stress on the sheet metal is one-half the stress due to the resistance to the expansion of the cylindrical part. Internal pressure tends to exert tension on the sheet metal itselfbut before such action can take place directl the corrugations must be drawn'out. Suci expansion would act directly at right angles to the corrugations and the stress in this direction may be resolved into its components as described above.

In the aforesaid arran ement, the set of the torsional effects which might occur if I employed but a single portion of wire disposed along the recessed part of the corru- 1 gations and in the oblique position as described. I

In the preceding description, it has been supposed that the hooping wiresare of the usual kind of circular crosssection. Such w res must be in fact used for hooping pur- Ill longitudinal b poses in order to prevent the'burstin of the cylinder," this being combined wit a racing'tohold the end parts in place.-

But according to g vention (Figs. 8 and 9) I am enabled to dispense with this double bracing, by the use of wires having a speciahcross section, such wires having a U section, as shown 1n Fig. 9, and they are so disposed that the hoopmg ofthe cylinder is carried out by means of,

two sets of wires or hoops placed side by side, whereof each hoop of one set has the opening of the U turned outwardly and each hoop '16 of the other has" the opening of the U turned inwardly, the two sets of hoops being connected together at their flanged" ed es. This arrangement offers the .crease their strength by the use strength w ich is required both in the longi tudinal and the transverse d1rect1ons, so as to prevent the rupture of the cylindrical body-as well as the tearing off of the end parts. In this ,form the cylinder 17 may have outwardly projecting, annular corrugations 18.

- It will be inrther noted that the preceding arrangement is applicable to a winding which also covers thesurface of the hemispherical end caps 7, so'that I may use the great strength of the steel wire for the construction of the said'end caps, and am not I restricted to the "conditions dependi-n upon the" strength-"of the sheet metal, w

By my said'method of construction, I am enabled to use sheet metal which is much thinner than the "metal in common use for the manufacture of pressure recipients." But in/certain cases, the vessels constructed according to my said method may not have the strength necessar to withstand the usual handling. @In' t is event I may in ,of a light internal Y construction which is" suitabl arranged. By' way of example,. the sai disposition-may comprisernrstly a plurality of --light internal hoops 1-9 of wood or metal,

spherical caps tojthe main body, thirdly,

assurin a regular circular form for the cylindrical surface of the vessel, secondly, a set of wires QOserVing-to connect the said hoops together'and also to connect thel1e1nisets of wires 21in conical disposition, serving to connect the said hoops together and forming diagonal bracing members assuring .the rigidity'of the whole'device.

The said hoops may further beconnected' lto tension elements'which 'assure the perma nent contact between the attaching points of the wires of the longitudinal sets and the conical sets, and the sheet metalof the cylindrical part, in spite of the circumferential expansion of the cylindricalfpart whenthe" vessel is subjected topressur'eI- This result maybe obtained use of another "form of the in- 'ich is: necessarily much less than thatofpthe wire.

and b and will hence'press the vertlces connected with the acute angles of the'diamond strongly against the sheet metal.

The proper number shapedelements will of the vessel.

of said diainond depend upon the length For containers of the usual commercial sizes, it will often be suflicient to employ two forming two-equidistant points of contact with the sheet said hoops.

metal adjacent each of the diamond-shaped elements By judiciously combining sheet metal. of v peculiarly ductlle character, such as elec trolytic iron, and a suitable wire, such as steel piano wire, there may be made according to the present invention vessels adapted to hold-material under heavy pressure and with a great reduction, 50 percent for example', of weight as compared with vessels heretofore in use. These vessels may be used for the storage and transportation under heavy pressure of oxygen, hydrogen, very light weight of the.

etc. and due to the vessels' the cost of transportation will be tant use of such vessels especially in large sizes is in'the storage of fuel gases such as town gas, methane, in the motors of various kinds of motor vehicles. In this way ing gaseous by-product's, maybe utilized 'to great advantage vespecially as to efliciency and economy. Another important advantage of usin such gaseous by-products for motor ve icles is that the combustion of the gas may-be rendered almost complete'and there is substantially no such expulsion of partly burned and injurious gasesas with the ordinary gasoline motor. Preferably, the tanks on the motor vehicles are arranged for easy removal and replacement so that a substantially empty tank or vessel may easily be replaced by a full one. For certain purposes such as providing storage for refilling of smaller containers, there may be provided tanks of large capacity which maybeso large as to require the manufacture of special wire therefor Instead "of employing to act against a possible sure, I may construct tively thin walls,

"increase in pres-' means'which prevent al-lexcessive pressures. For this purpose I utilize the property hydrogen, etc. for use mechanical means certain gases, includcontainers with relah by, the fuse of, physical 100 i very much reduced. An extremely imp0r-'- ll per square cm.instead o v to the common practice for gas advantage,

tam

ssessed by certain substances of absorbing great quantities of as, this being the case, amon others, forc arcoal. These absorbents W1 1 in tact permit of disposing of a much ater volume of at a stated pressure in a given space t an if the gas were simply compressed in a vessel of sufiicient strength.

For instance 1 liter of charcoalvwill absorb some 4 liters of hydrogen at the ordinary temperature. I may thus store in a container of this kind some 150 cubic meters of gas per cubic meter of volume of the recipient, employing a pressure of 40 kgs.

150 k according ttles. The wei ht of the vessels arranged in accordance wi said method will be reduced from lrgs. to some 2.5 kgs. per cubic meter of gas contained therein the volume of the gas bain measured at the atmospheric ressure.

, 1th methane gas, I obtain a stil greater since the charcoal absorbs times its volume of this gas at the ordinary ture.

It should however be notedthat these effects ofabsorption, with the subsequent disengagement 0 accompanied by a considerable disengagement or an absorption of heat, asif the gas were liquefied within the molecules of carbon, so that if a regular absorption or disenga ent of gas is desired, it is necessary to e ect cooling during the filling operation and has during the dischar e operation.

It shou d be understood t at various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts and certain features may be used without others, without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim: y

1. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure, comprising a relatively light and expansible envelope having inwardly projectin corru ations extending from end to end thereo wire extending from end to end of the envelope and having portions lyin in said corrugations, and an external rein orcement of wire so arranged around said envelope as to sustain the principal part of the stress due to the internal pressure as the envelope expands and approaches a circular cross section.

2. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure, comprising an expansible cylindrical envelope of sheet metal with corrugations extending from end to end thereof, and a hooping of wire extending around said corru ations and adapted to sue; tain theprincipa part of the stress dueto the internal pressure as the envelope expands.

3. A container adapted to sustain heavy intern l pressure, comprising an] expansible the gas thus compressed, are

corrugated envelope having inwardly concave ends, wire arrangedtransversely around said envelope, and wire arranged externally and longitudinally of said envelope to hold said ends together and to cooperate with said transversely arranged wire in sustaining the principal part of the stress due to the internal pressure as said envelope expands.

4. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure, comprising an expansible longitudinally corrugated cylindrical envelo cap portions at the ends of said enve ope, wire extendin from cap to cap and having portions lying in the external troughs of said corrugations, and wire arranged transversely around said envelope and cooperating with said longitudinally arranged wire to sustain the principal part of the stress as the envelope expands due to internal pressure.

5. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure, comprising a relatively light and expansible envelope of corrugated sheet metal having closed ends, said envelope having a peripheral corrugation or trough adjacent each end, and external reinforcing means of wire so arranged around said envelo as to sustain the principal part of the longltudinal and peripheral stresses as the envelope expands due to internal pressure.

6. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure comprising an expansible cylindrical enveio e of corrugated sheet metal having close ends, and transverse wire hoopin resistin the lon itudinal pressure on sai ends an outwar pressure on said envelope as the latter expands, said wire hooping comprising wire of U-sha ed cross section and the direction of the -shaped sections being alternately outward and. inward and successive loops of wire being lockedtogether in this manner.

7. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure, comprising an expansible longitudinally corrugated envelope of thin metal having closed ends, an outer reinforcementof wire to sustain the greatervpart of the stress as the envelope expands under ressure, and an inner bracing comprising ight hoops and wire connecting the hoops together and connected to the ends to prevent collapse ofthe cylinder. a

;8. A container adapted to sustain heavy internal pressure, colnprisin an expansible cylindrical envelope of tiiin. corrugated metal, caps attached to said -envclope at its ends, an outer reinforcement of wire to sustain the greater part ofthe stress as the envelo expands under pressure, a longitudinal inner wire connected at its ends to the caps, and inner bracin comprising light hoops, wire connecting toggle meane to expand one of said oops, and connections between said toggle means and said longitudinal inner wire to operate e hoops to ether,

the toggle means when the wire is stretched. sure and comprising wires so arranged as 9. A container adapted to sustain heavy to cause the envelope to return to its initial internal pressure; comprising an expansible corrugated form when relieved from such 10 cylindrical envelope of corrugated sheet internal pressure. 5 metal and having closed ends, and an exter- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

nal reinforcement of-wire to sustain the principal part of the stress due to internal pres- PAUL Nicol-A5 V 

